Residential

DofE Official List of Residential Ideas and FAQs

To achieve your Gold Award, you need to complete an extra section – the Residential.  This involves spending 5 days and 4 nights away from home on a shared activity in a group of people who have never met each other before, all in the same role and aiming to achieve shared objectives. You also must be in shared accommodation – bunkhouse, hostel, camping, dormitory…………Viking longhouse………….

It’s a big, exciting, and very fulfilling experience that you will never forget.  It may be that you want to build on a talent you’ve developed in another section, learn something completely new on an intensive course or do something to help others.  From learning to snowboard in Scotland to helping at a children’s camp; working with the National Trust to helping on an urban recycling project; learning French in Paris to sailing a tall ship, there are loads of exciting possibilities to find the activity that’s just right for you.

Alongside all that is on offer elsewhere, Dorset annually offers two amazing and unique Residentials during the summer. Read about them below.

Ancient Technology at the ATC, in Cranborne. Link here

Dorset Council, Ancient Technology Gold Residential Mon 25 to Fri 29 July 2022. £345

Our amazing venue, set in the heart of Cranborne Chase near Salisbury, is second to none when it comes to a unique residential experience. Participants learn so many new skills during their week with us; skills that will last you a lifetime.

Your accommodation will be in our Viking Longhouse, a fully authentic reconstruction (amongst many on site) in which you will eat, sleep and socialise.  During the week you will explore traditional construction methods of prehistoric buildings, from the Stone Age through to the Anglo Saxon/Viking era whilst also participating in a range of fun activities such as archery, making rope, blacksmithing, cooking over an open fire, fire making and many more.

And who does not like a good story being told around a fire after a hard day of work. Tales of bygone days, battles and folklore!

Places are limited so contact us to book early and avoid disappointment.

Field Studies at Leeson House, Langton Matravers. Link here

Conservation and Ecology – Gold DofE Residential near Swanage   August 2023 £330 tbc

Leeson House Field Studies Centre is a secluded and comfortable manor house situated close to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.

The week will include activities such as conservation work; bird ringing, small mammal recording and moth trapping. One morning will be spent rock pooling and looking at marine ecology and fossils at Kimmeridge bay. Another day finding out about heathland and sand dune ecology followed by kayaking over the sea grass meadows towards Old Harry Rocks. There will also be a night under the stars and a beach BBQ to round off the Gold Residential in style. It will be supported by staff from Dorset Council Outdoor Education Service and DofE Volunteers. Leeson House is the premier Field Studies base in Dorset and is close to many classic geography, geology and biology fieldwork sites and set within 7 acres of inspiring and diverse grounds.

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